I am trying to figure out what I want in a new pump 12 and am a little confused on Length of Pull. The three I am looking at measure 14, 14, and 14 1/4" (Remmington 870, Mossberg 500, and Bennelli Nova/Supernova).

I have found a lot of threads talking about how to shorten or lengthen a stock, put harly anybody specifies their preferred LOP or their physical characreristics. I am 5' 8".

Would some of you mind saying how tall you are and your lop?

[I realize there are a lot of other factors involved, but I found an interesting chart indicating how LOPs tend to correlate with height. If it is correct, I should be fine with any one of the three as far as LOP is involved. It is located at http://www.herosarms.com/Selecting.htm#Table Yes, it appears to be based on a mere 17 subjects and individual LOPs are often 1/2" and in some cases more than the slope, but I understand an slightly short LOP is not a problem. Just stay away from too long an LOP.]

BTW, I also measured from the crook of my arm to the first digit of my trigger finger, with the arm bent 90 degrees, and got a measurement of 14 1/4".

So does it look as though I needn't worry about the LOP?

Thanks for your comments and advice.

Doyle

December 17, 2010, 08:18 AM

The "old timers" method of measuring lenght of pull from the curl of your trigger finger to the crook of your arm is a poor method at best. Length of pull is determined not just by height or how long your arm is but also by such factors as neck length, cheek thickness, shoulder thickness, clothing thickness, etc.

I'm no expert, but the way that has worked for me is to shoulder a gun and sight down the barrel like you are going to shoot it. Have another person measure the distance from the thumb knuckle of your grip hand to the bridge of your nose. You need somewhere between an inch and about 1 1/4" distance between the two. If you have more, you can trim the stock and reattach the recoil pad. If you have less, you can add a thicker recoil pad or a spacer.

oneounceload

December 17, 2010, 09:51 AM

There is a lot more to gun fit than just LOP - there is cast, pitch, drop at heel, drop at comb. When all of these are correct, the gun fits like a glove (and should for best results). Why some folks feel the need to cut their stocks even shorter so they have to "scrunch" up on the stock is beyond my comprehension.

Personally, I am about 6'3" - I like LOP's to range from 14-1/2 to 15-1/4. This all depends on the type of stock. More relaxed pistol grips allow a slightly longer LOP and still fit well, while a more pronounced grip needs to be better tailored to your dimension. An English stock, especially on a gun with double triggers, allows more leeway, as your trigger hand is moving back and forth to get to the other trigger

zippy13

December 17, 2010, 11:01 AM

Buying a shotgun is a lot like buying a car if it didn't have an adjustable driver's seat. I'm over six feet and when I buy a new shotgun I just assume I'll have to have the stock custom fit. As oneounceload noted, there's more to stock fit than length of pull.

Stock fitting used to be one of the bread-and-butter services of your local gunsmith (along with drilling for scope mounts). These days some shotguns come with adjustable stocks (and rifles are pre-drilled for scope mounts). I'm lucky, ShockMaster custom stocks is only a few blocks from me. And, the business has passed from father to son, so it won't be aging-out soon as so many others gun related businesses already have.

KlawMan, at five-eight, you are more likely to find OEM stocks that will fit, or be very close to fitting, than those of us who a head taller or shorter. Don't get overly concerned about the actual fit of shot gun, especially if you find one that's a real stand-out except for fit. I know, we're always talking about the importance of a proper fitting shotgun stock; but, the proper fit can be done after you get the gun. Of course this doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep fit in mind. As Doyle mentioned, spacers can add length -- shortening and changing angles are more involved. 870/1100-type (and similar) stocks can have the wood shaved to change the angle slightly; but, with an older Winchester, with a V-joint at the receiver, it can't be done.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 02:41 PM

Doyle, I hear you about measuring from the elbow crook to the finger joint and see how easily it can be fudged, but I felt better when that little chart showed some correlatiion with height.

I am being a bit careful about trying to get a gun to fit off the rack as I am looking at sytnthetic stock models and they are difficult to trim which is why I am also looking at ones for which 13" stocks are available if needed. (I have seen where it is possible to trim up to an inch off of the Remington. http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/shotgun-talk/143285-compare-remington-synthetic-shotgun-stocks-standard-vs-youth-lop.html )

BTW. I do have an old H&R single shot model 1900 and it seems to fit pretty well, but the design of the stock is quite different from modern ones. It has a LOP of 13 1/4".

Thanks for your help Doyle.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 02:56 PM

Hi oneounceload. From what you and others write, I see the importance of numerous factors to achieving a fit but it interesting that with half a foot onn me you prefer an sg with a LOP of 14 1/2 to 15 1/4" and that suggests I may want to stick with the remington or mossbergs as each are 14" LOPs.

I could ask the guys at a local gun shop, but wonder if they are more interested in selling than fitting me with what is best for me.

One thing I noticed was that some weapons seemed to require me to force my head down in order to get a sight picture. That may be a problem with my neck but if is only with certain models I will stay away from them. (I think that was a chinese made stevenson 350 that some feel have a pronounced drop to its stock.)

oneounceload

December 17, 2010, 03:06 PM

Again, it all depends on all of the factors, including what I am wearing. For a hunting gun being used in cold weather when I have many layers on, a shorter LOP by 1/4 - 1/2 inch fits better than when it is summer and I am in a T-shirt. There are mechanical devices that will allow you to adjust the comb and others for the butt that allow you to adjust LOP, pitch, toe, even cast to some degree.

Height is one thing, but body build is another - take two folks at 5'-8" - one weighting 145 and the other weighing 245 - their stock needs will be quite different from one another even though they share the same height

zippy13

December 17, 2010, 03:36 PM

Have you considered the option of having an adjustable butt plate adapter (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=6726/Product/GRACO_ADJUSTABLE_BUTT_PLATE) installed on your gun? Then you can try a multitude of stock settings at your leisure. When you get your stock dimension requirements dialed-in then you'll know exactly what to get in your next gun.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 04:00 PM

Happy Hollidays to you Zippy13. I think what you are saying about not worrying too much about the LOP may be on the money. As long as the LOP is in the area of what I supposedly should need, I may look more for the feel and sight picture.

Also, looking at chart I linked to, the one plotting height and fitted LOP, the writer only said that it was slightly better predictor than the length of arm method wich was not very accurate.

Still, between what you and the others have said, I don't believe I should be unduly concerned with LOP as compared to other features and the gerneral overall fit and feel of a weapon.

Thanks.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 04:12 PM

It seems that experienced great minds think alike, since both you, oneounceload and zippy13, proffered adjustable butt plates. I woner how well they work with synthetic stocks. Then again, I may have this wrong but believe something like that may come on the Bennelli Super Nova. I may be thinking of the recoil reducer.

(I wasn't thinking of the tactical looking adustable stock, which is what Bennelli seems to offer.)

oneounceload

December 17, 2010, 04:23 PM

Here is the RAD system:
http://www.hartshooting.com/

The Gracoil:
http://www.graco-corp.com/t/gracoil

The G-Squared:
http://www.shockmaster.com/

The Bumpbuster:
http://speedbumpstockworks.blogspot.com/

Counter Coil:
http://www.danuser.com/rrd/

There are others as well - while these all are designed to reduce felt recoil, most - if not all - can be adjusted for LOP and other stock dimensions, making your gun fit you better

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 04:36 PM

oneoounce load, Looking at those I see that there there should be an after market solution if needed. I also checked and the Super Nova sees to do some of this. There are adjustment for drop and cast as well as LOP and recoil. http://www.stu-offroad.com/firearms/benelli/supernova-1.htm

Again, thanks.

redrick

December 17, 2010, 04:54 PM

If you go with the Remington, they now have a youth stock that you can adjust the LOP from 13 to 14".

I am your same height and weigh 165 lbs. I just bought a 870P, it came at 13" LOP. It is ok, but I ordered a Hogue 12" LOP stock & forend today from Midway, to try out. I should get it Thursday.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 05:05 PM

Redrick, Interesting that your gun came with such a short OEM LOP of 13", but while we are both 5" 8", I have 40 pounds on you. How is it that yours came with a 13" LOP? Is it a Bantam or Youth stock?

redrick

December 17, 2010, 05:15 PM

It's a LEO model, I guess that is standard for it, with them wearing body armor.

TheKlawMan

December 17, 2010, 05:55 PM

It just dawned on me why you mentioned body armor. That is kind of the ultimate thick clothing like oneounceload talked about.

Dave McC

December 18, 2010, 11:36 PM

I'm about 6'1", well nourished, and the shotguns I shoot well have LOPs running from 14" to 16". My water fowling 870 is standard length, the 870 I use mostly for wingshooting during the warmer months is about 16" and my main clays gun, a Beretta O/U, is more than 15".

IMO, drop is more important, for one. We can fudge a little on the length by where we grip the forearm but the distance from the center of the pupil to the zygomatic arch( Cheekbone) is constant and unique to each of us.

So is cast. Getting the eye where it belongs directly behind the barrels is crucial to good shooting.

Don't let it scare you. Good fit pays off in better shooting in greater comfort.

As for length, if you can get two fingers on the comb between your nose and thumb when you're mounting the gun, you're close enough. Another check, mount an empty gun a few times and if you neither have to move the thing way back into your pocket nor have it snag as it rises, it's close enough.

HTH....

TheKlawMan

December 19, 2010, 01:33 AM

Thanks Dave McC. I think I am getting this fugured out and what seems complicated is much simpler.

I do have a hundred year old single shot H&R, but it isn't configured anything like a modern gun. Still, its 13 1/2" LOP is plainly to short for me, suggesting that a standard 14" may do me fine as I can easily get a thicker pad.

I think the thing to do is put some trust in the guys at Fowlers, a local gun shop, and see which of three or four weapons (within my budget) they stock they say is the best fit. Maybe I will be better off shopping for a better made used gun.

Dave McC

December 20, 2010, 08:51 AM

"...a better made used gun".....

Amen. Very few shotguns are ever worn out, most are ruined by neglect and abuse.

Some LGS folks are quite cognizant about fit. Some are absolute idiots. More of the former than latter, fortunately.

In any recent year, the shotguns I shoot have ranged from 870 Expresses to Purdeys, Model 21s etc. Universally, regardless of brand or MSRP, the ones that fit shoot better for me.

Good luck in your search......

BigJimP

December 20, 2010, 01:37 PM

Personally, I'm 6'5" and around 290 lbs ( and over-fed...to use Dave's analogy ....) ....but for all of my shotguns ( whether its a 12ga or a .410 ) ..... I'm most comfortable with LOP at 14 5/8". Most of my O/U's ( all Browning's like the Citori XS Skeet or XT Trap out of the factory come with 14 3/8" ) ....

But its easy to adjust them ... add 1/4" to 3/8" by putting on a different recoil pad or a spacer ...on a wood stock gun.

The only synthetic stock I have is a Benelli Super Sport ...and even though they spec the gun at 14 3/8" ...I still find it a little short. I manage with it / but I'd like it longer ....but to lengthen a synthetic stock can be an issue / depending on how the recoil pad mounts to the body of the stock. On the Benelli with the comfort tech system - its a problem - because they have snap in recoil pads / they don't anchor to the stock with screws.

If a gun is real light ....and shorter ...its a bigger issue / than if the gun is at what I consider my optimum weight ( around 8 1/2 lbs ) for a general purpose gun. All of this plays into swing characteristics ... But how the gun fits to your shoulder and face is far more important than 1/8" in LOP ...because if it fits properly in my shoulder and cheek / it will hit where I look ... and plus or minus 1/8" is ok. But plus or minus 1/4" ...is really noticeable ...at least to me.

It just takes time to get it dialed in / figure out what your LOP is ....

TheKlawMan

December 20, 2010, 02:29 PM

Thanks BigJimP. It seems I have to nearly go back to the beginning and check out the guns I am interested in all over, now that I know what to look for, which seems to be what I call my snap sight picture. Of couse I don't mind that to much. Before, I only noticed that with some I had to force my head into position to get a good targer picture but with others it was more natural.

Interesting that you mentioned the Bennelli with the comfort tech system because I was considering the super nova pump.

oneounceload

December 20, 2010, 02:32 PM

If you're looking at things from a new perspective, then going to your local gun club and borrowing/renting various types and actually shooting them will give you the best insight as to which ones will work for you - much better than just shouldering them in the store

Good luck, the hunt for the perfect gun never ends!

BigJimP

December 20, 2010, 02:39 PM

I don't know if the Super Nova and the SuperSport share the same carbon fibre stock configuration or not ?? / but I do think they use the same snap in recoil pads.

But even the longest pad for the Super Sport --- is only 14 3/8" ( which is how it comes standard ) --- and they sell optional pads at 14" and 13 1/2" ( to reduce the LOP ) ... and left handed vs right handed - but nothing longer than 14 3/8" although the marketing rep in my area for Benelli - told me something was coming out ( I still haven't seen it ??) But since you mentioned it - in one of your notes ...was why I mentioned it...

My Benelli is a backup ( or a rain or travel gun ) .....not a primary gun ....so I just live with it at 14 3/8" ( but the contour of the recoil pad - is why it feels a little short to me ). The recoil pads are expensive ( about $ 85 ) but I'm going to buy an extra one ... cut it on a bandsaw / and put an extra 1/2" into it ( as a wafer ) and see if it holds up ...

zippy13

December 20, 2010, 02:53 PM

I know BigJim really likes his Benelli Super Sport. When he showed me how it works and how quickly and easily it dismounts, it made me think my old R-1100 belongs in a museum. Since I like to tease him, I tell him his SS looks like it would be more at home on Mars than a gun club or game field.

I concur with Jim on the snap-on butt pad system seeming pretty Matty Mattel. I suspect Benelli considers the Super Sport an "in progress" gun -- they do offer the Sport II with a walnut stock.

BigJimP

December 20, 2010, 03:04 PM

There are lots of different perspectives on "Fit" ....on this forum...

But "Fit", in my mind, is best characterized - as the gun hits where you look. You put a full choke in it / shoot at a 3" spot - at 21 yards ( is the Point of Impact - POI ) right on the spot, or left or low, or high ....etc...

To correct the gun, so it hits where you look - is to adjust the "Fit". Maybe you need a little higher comb, maybe lower, etc ...or maybe a parallel adjustable comb. Some of the guns may have shims / you insert between the receiver and the stock - to raise or lower / or to move left or right .... some guns don't have the shims. Some guns have adjustable combs / you can raise or lower - or move left or right ....but they aren't common on synthetic stocks. Some you can add in after-market / some you're just stuck with what you have - because it isn't economically adviseable to do much to a relatively inexpensive gun.

To me - picking another gun - is about the adjustability. That's part of why, in my "target guns" - I shoot parallel, adjustable comb guns - like the Browning Citori XS Skeet models / or the Benelli super sport - because it has shims and drop in inserts in comb and in recoil pad. The Benelli system is incremental ...but its not bad. Some of my older guns are fixed - like my older Browning BPS pump gun Hunter models. On those I have to use a
"stick on comb pad" and/or alter the LOP with a different recoil pad....

"Fit" - so the gun hits where you look / is almost impossible to tell in a shop unless you have many thousands of shells under your belt ...and really know how the gun is supposed to feel / and what you see down the rib when you open your eyes. You can come close .....but you really need to shoot a gun at a pattern board / to get your Point of Impact ...and then dial in the "Fit".

When I was a kid / we didn't know anything about "Fit" ....we shot guns in the family, guns were passed down, etc ..... At some point, we figured out what made the gun fit / so it hit where we looked ( a vest, sweater, or coat combination ) or whatever ..... so when we put our face on the comb / it was hitting where we looked. On any "angled" comb gun ....like the Super Nova or the Browning BPS .... if you move up or back on the comb as little as 1/2" the muzzle moves up or down accordingly ... so your point of impact really changes. Its just the way it is / with angled comb guns ...

I know you started by asking about LOP ....but its all rolled up in this issue of "Fit" like OneOunce and Zippy advised as well .../ just be patient ...and shoot as many guns as you can before you decide.

As an example, Browning Citori 625 with adj comb / does not have a parallel comb. Its a beautiful gun .....but it has too much drop at the comb for me / so that gun, with that stock configuration, is a very poor gun for me... Most all of the Beretta O/U's have too much drop at the comb / and I don't like the slimmer area around the grip of their guns ...so most all of the Beretta's will not fit me either ...( all of which I've learned over many years .... )...

So you kind of have to develop your learning curve ...

Nnobby45

December 20, 2010, 06:42 PM

There are people ont the thread who have long pulls compared to me. I've had to modify every "standard" length shotgun I've ever owned. I'm 5' 11" and have average length arms (I think).

Remember that hunting shotguns are sometimes used when you're bundled up with clothing. My hunting guns are about 13 1/4 to 13 1/2", and my Scattergun Tech Combat 870's are just fine with 12.5" LOP's--no matter what I'm wearing.

A little shorter still works. Too long causes problems.:cool:

TheKlawMan

December 20, 2010, 07:14 PM

Guys. I like onoounceload's suggestion to get my self down to a local gun cluup and start shooting. I had been wondering if there was a program where I could pay X to try some weapons and get some advice and would think some gun shops would promote something like that. There is a place in Newport Beach that has been there since I was a kid and I am headed out the door to go there now - Turners Gun shop. They should give me an idea of what is around here in Orange County, CA. (As a boy I shot clay off the side of the road a few miles from the old Tustin buffalo ranch, but the place is a bit populated for that now.)

Why I am there I am going to see if what they think of whether or not my old H&R model 1900 is safe to shoot with certain reduced loads. (It has been discussed. including the proper ammo, on another thread and safety wise it is questionable.)

Zippy13 and BigJimP. All I can say is the Bennelli Nova is awfully pretty.

DaveC. A good used 870P, if had for a decent price, would likely be better than an an new but inexpesinve clone.

Nnobby45. What you say about short stocks may be true for me. The old model 1900 I have but have never shot feels pretty good and it has a 13 1/2" pull. It is hard to gauge using it as nothing about the stock is similar to a modern gun.

Off to Turners. (I just bought my wife a necklace for Xmas. As she was almost ready to give me a gift certificate to a gun shop as a present, I think she will let me get anything in reason. She is also getting a new car. Me. I have to be careful about spending a few hundred on a shooter.) Thanks again everyone for your well reasoned input.

I really listen to it.

zippy13

December 20, 2010, 07:45 PM

If your local Turners is anything like my local Turners, they won't have a clue about shotgun fit. If you haven't already got something from Turners, may I suggest you head up to Triple-B Clays (http://www.triplebclays.com/modules.php?name=ProShop) in El Monte or Prado Olympic Shooting Park (http://www.shootprado.com/) in Chino and see what they have. If you make it up to Triple-B, and want to see some really nice guns, it's not that much further to Pacific Sporting Arms (www.pacificsportingarms.com/) in Azusa.

TheKlawMan

December 20, 2010, 11:20 PM

zippy13, Maybe I will make a day of it and check the Prado Olympic Shooting Park out and perhaps that Azusa store.

TheKlawMan

January 11, 2011, 06:22 PM

Picked up my Remington 870 Express and went to Prado shooting park today. One of their regulars who showed me around and explained skeet and trap thought that I not only didn't need to shorten my stock but I may need to lengthen it by about 1/2 an inch to get the proper LOP for skeet. He didn't know about hunting.

For those interested in conditions at Prado in Chino, California, they had hoped to open today but as of 1 p.m. were still having problems so I took off. The pistol range was open.

zippy13

January 11, 2011, 08:36 PM

Happy to hear you finally have your new gun in hand. The Calif. waiting period is a real bother. I haven't bought a new gun in some time. At my age, if I buy a gun, I'm likely to forget about it before the waiting period is over. ;)

What was up with Prado not being open? It's located in a large flood control reservoir (as is Triple-B), so it's understandable if it gets flooded when the rains are unseasonably intense.

TheKlawMan

January 12, 2011, 12:44 AM

Zippy. That is what happened. The water was backed up by the dam over the roofs of some of the trailers/buildings. It was a major feat just to walk around and not fall down in some of the mud. The owner was cleaning a lot of surface rust off of some range guns.

Remember what you said about borrowing other shooter's guns. A guy I met was tickled to explain skeet and trap and let me look at his Wetherby OU. When I mentioned that a guy on the internet (guess who) told me to come out there and rent a gun, he said I could probably try some of the other shooters. Nice place.

The guy that was showing me the ropes was concerned that they wouldn't let me shoot an 18 inch barrel, but I asked and a person in the trailer said it was fine as long as I had a full stock.

zippy13

January 12, 2011, 01:58 PM

I'm happy to hear the Prado people were hospitable even if they weren't able to toss any targets. With all the rain they've had, it should be lovely there this spring.

TheKlawMan

January 12, 2011, 07:57 PM

Went back to Prado today at about 1:30 and the shotgun range was in operation if not very busy. (They are having trouble with their telephones. I don't know if they normall take credit cards, and if they know you it may be different, but it was cash and carry because of the phones being out.)

I shot two rounds of "Trap". Shot with a little old guy who was great, even if he had to move slowly with the use of a walker and had difficulty with speech. Appeared to be recovering from a stroke. He was a good shooter and very nice guy.

The other guy I shot a round with was obviously peed that he had to shoot with some newby with a black riot gun. F him.

There were also a guy in his very eraly twenties with what looked to be a Mossberg (690) with ghost ring sights and a sidesaddle. I noticed he had several misfires and his rear sights came off while shooting skeet.

The young RO was great. The first round he scored me 7/25 (and that was when half way through the old guy who could barely speak explained that I should shoot more quickly before the pattern speads. He scored me 17/25 the second round. I know that you guys would freak if you shot so poorly but I was tickled (and I think he was genrerous with the score keeping.)

As for the 870's performance, I was only top loading one round at any time but nothing misfired and everyting ejected.

No cheek slap. Very little trouble with recoil in the shoulder. A couple of times there was a little too much recoil, which I subscribe to not holding the gun well. Leter my right thumb feels sore.

But it was a blast to blast.

zippy13

January 12, 2011, 10:24 PM

...it was a blast to blast.
Sounds like you're hooked. How long do you figure it's safe to wait before mention to your wife that a target shotgun would be a lot of fun to have in addition to the new HD gun? :rolleyes:

TheKlawMan

January 13, 2011, 12:07 AM

Sounds like you're hooked. How long do you figure it's safe to wait before mention to your wife that a target shotgun would be a lot of fun to have in addition to the new HD gun?

I don't think a target gun is in the cards for some time, but I may shop around for a good deal on a longer barrel for the 870.

First I have to get her and the kids interested in this. I am thinking of taking them to a less regimented venue such as Burro Canyon of a place that was suggested out above Fontana where perhaps we can be left alone with a box of clays and a portable thrower.

darkgael

January 13, 2011, 08:02 AM

Kinda late to this thread and no where near the experience of many of the other fellas who have offered their know how.
When I started in this silly shotgun business (addiction?) I spent some time up at the Orvis shotgun facility at Sandanonna. One of the things that they did for me was to give me a shotgun fitting using a Try Gun. I won't go through the process but what I ended up with were these measurements.
I am right handed. Right eye dominant. I am 6'2" and weigh 200lbs.
In shirt sleeves, my LOP is 15 1/4"
Drop at comb = 1 1/2". At heel = 2 1/2".
Cast off 3/8"
Pitch = +4 degrees.
When I pick up a gun set for these measurements, it comes right to my eye and shoots exactly where I am looking.

I don't have a custom gun, though, and I rarely shoot in shirtsleeves. I have learned that, practically, I am best off with a SG that has an LOP of 14 1/2" or so. The guns that I use the most have been adapted to this length or longer by spacers or/and removable recoil pads (using one adds about 1/2").
To the gun that I use for Trap (a used Mossberg Country Squire with a ribbed 30" FC barrel), I have lengthened the stock as just noted and raised the comb with an add on. It has helped a lot.
Pete

TheKlawMan

January 13, 2011, 04:10 PM

Thanks Darkgail. You went the best way and I have seen video of being fit with a try gun. The truth is I couldn't wait to buy something and the rains we were having in So Calif made it impossible to rent/borrow and try things put. I am just under 5'8" and 200 pounds. What I picked up, an 870 with a synthetic, has a 14" LOP and one gent at the range thought I needed to lenghten it to 14.5" if I am shooting in a polo shirt. I am going to put some more rounds through it before I do anything but I imagine I could duct tape a pad over the stock one to see how it fits with a longer LOP. (Or spend $40 for a slip on Limbsaver).

foghorn leghorn

May 4, 2012, 04:43 PM

my 870 has a snag factor on my shirt/jacket from the pointy nature of the recoil pad. has anyone rounded over the tip of their pad on a recent release of their 870 express. An exacto maybe. I was afraid it might be sponge-like, or hollow? :eek:
https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2wduYPKsjdQ5r0HPkX5iAd1OZsA2n4np7ZFpWtCRv8_QTUGqb

TheKlawMan

May 4, 2012, 05:57 PM

Foghorn,

I lookws at my original pad, which is hollow with a waffle pattern rigid suppport system, but I do not think that the hollowed out part extends into the pointy art on the bottom of the recoil pad. I think you can roound it off some but don't go crazy and rem,ove no more than 1/8". Before taking anything off, wait to see if someone else chimes in.

What I eventually did with mine, and I was very pleased with the result, was I got a Remington SuperCell recoil pad. They are sold in most LGS or can be ordered from Remington for about $20. It is much softer than the standard pad and is no where near as pointy. It sucks up a lot of felt recoil.

Should you get one for your 870, they are different for a wood or a synthetic stock.

Dave McC

May 4, 2012, 08:34 PM

Belt sander. Go slow.Sand a little and try a mount.

oneounceload

May 4, 2012, 10:41 PM

Before you take a dremel or sander, take some smooth electrical tape over that portion......nail polish can also smooth up some pads, but the tape is temporary to see if it works on your pad and doesn't break down the pad material